2015 FAI Annual Report

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FAI ANNUAL REPORT–2015 FAI ANNUAL REPORT–2015 7 8
FAI World
Air Games
Dubai 2015
The FAI World Air Games Dubai 2015 was the biggest
multi-air sports competition ever organised.
From 1 to 12 December, 951 athletes from 52 countries
competed for the much sought-after title of FAI World Air
Games Champion. Eleven sports were in the competition
programme: Aerobatics, Aeromodelling, Aerostats,
Amateur-Built Aircraft, General Aviation, Gliding,
Microlights, Paramotors, Parachuting, Paragliding and
Rotorcraft. Never before were so many athletes from so
many air sports given a stage to display their talents.
The Symposium on Medical Challenges in Extreme
Air Sports and in Aviation, a side-event at the Games,
attracted world-leading health and aviation experts on
4 and 5 December.
The Emirates Aerosports Federation, since being
awarded the Games in June 2014, put great effort into
making this event an unforgettable success, in close
collaboration with FAI and its community of volunteers.
CELEBRATION OF AIR SPORTS
Great care was given to the format of the competitions.
The objective was to present all the sports at their best,
in a way that would equally satisfy the athletes and the
spectators, while ensuring they be adapted to the special
flying conditions of the desert and over water. The Glider
Match Racing event was created especially for the Games.
Staying in viewof the public located at the venue, identical
gliders competed against each other in an exciting one-
to-one regatta-style competition.
AIR SPORTS IN THE CITY
Another particular feature of these Games, beyond their
exceptionally large scale, is that they brought air sports to
the people, as all the six venues were only a short distance
from Dubai and its over two million inhabitants.
The main competition venue was Skydive Dubai Palm
Jumeirah. Its location on a strip of land reclaimed from the
sea at the edge of the city allowed the various activities of
the Games to be visible to anyone living or working in the
high-rise buildings of the area. Another field of playwas the
ice rink of the Dubai Mall, where the Indoor Aeromodelling
event took place. Its wide open space at the heart of what
is one of the world’s busiest shopping centres gave the
opportunity to themany passers-by to discover and enjoy
the skilled manoeuvres of the model aircraft flying to the
sound of music.
A GLOBAL IMPACT AND A LASTING LEGACY
Sharing the host’s concern to make the Games a global
event, the Federation participated in ensuring international
coverage, whether it be on TV, press or social media. The
positive response to the communication efforts proved
once again the great potential for air sports.
The success of the Games in Dubai and their worldwide
impact were also crucial for the Federation in the long-
term. Building upon this success, FAI can now look to the
future of the FAI World Air Games optimistically, and focus
on attracting the attention of bidders for the next edition
of the competition.